Generally, display parameters for a monitor, such as brightness, chromaticity, contrast and white balance, etc., will be preset when the monitor is manufactured. After the monitor is put into use, the user usually may set and adjust these parameters again to obtain optimal display of the current application's content. For example, when browsing a website or processing texts, a user may need lower brightness and contrast for the monitor, while higher brightness and color saturation may be necessary for watching movies. Some monitors may be provided with several preset “Scene Modes” to meet the users' different requirements of the monitor. A scene mode is a set of preset parameters for adjusting the monitor including, but not limited to, brightness, chromaticity, white balance and contrast, etc. Different scene modes are suitable for displaying different corresponding content. The scene mode is convenient for the user to adapt the monitor to the content being displayed, since the user will not need to adjust the respective parameters separately.
There are currently two types of scene control mechanisms for monitors: analog and digital. The analog control mechanism is mainly applied to the conventional cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor. The adjustment is performed by controlling the quantity of electrons emitted by the cathode of the kinescope (i.e, by manually turning control knobs provided on the monitor). This way of adjustment is relative simple, but has lower precision and cannot store any scene modes. The digital control mechanism, for example, may be applied to a liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor. The adjustment is performed by changing the voltage applied to the liquid crystal molecules, thereby making them rearrange, and then changing the light transmission of the LC molecules in order to obtain a desired display effect. Adjustment input mechanisms such as touch panels, knobs, buttons, and jog/shuttle controllers are commonly used in LCDs. Additionally, a memory for storing a variety of preset scene modes may be provided inside an LCD monitor. The user may select and switch to a certain scene mode based on the displayed content of the currently running application. However, regardless of which display mechanism is applied, the user must adjust the parameters or switch the scene mode manually.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional way of selecting a scene mode for a monitor 100. The user may push the button MENU 102 arranged on the bottom of the monitor 100 to select a desired scene mode as needed. For example, different scene modes may be selected for playing 3D games, web browsing and playing high definition (HD) movies. Then a set of parameters 101 corresponding to the selected scene mode will pop up on the monitor 100, including preset brightness, chromaticity and contrast. The monitor 100 will be adjusted based on the above set of parameters 101 to obtain a desired display effect. However, when the user pushes the buttons 102-104 to select a scene mode, the user must divert their attention away from the currently running application or suspend running the application, which is not only inconvenient for the user, but may also cause the user to accidentally terminate the application. Another disadvantage is that the user would not be able to select or switch to a desired scene mode if the buttons 102-104 are malfunctioning.
In consideration of above shortcomings, there is a need for methods and systems for automatically switching monitor scene modes to overcome the shortcomings described above and others.